Modular Training

Principal Protection; Lessons Learned was developed to support professional face-to-face training by qualified dignitary, executive or celebrity protection instructors. It is based on a modular training program comprised of unique topic areas developed to rapidly move competent students from the classroom to an operational level in a minimum amount of time. While certain topic areas are traditional “hands-on” reactive subjects such as personal defense, response to AOP, evasive driver training and firearms for protection personnel, the bulk of this program is designed to facilitate the delivery of protective services in a proactive mode. We focus on keeping the Protectee out of harm more so than learning how to fight our way out of a situation that has already been established and leveraged by an adversary. We learn from history.

If you would like to learn more about our unique training programs, or add us to your current training lineup, please supply your information on the “Contact” page. We are available to help you develop or deliver protection training according to your client’s needs.

A simple 3-day program might include modules relating to (times are flexible) :

I. Introduction (2.0 hours)

 

1. Introduction of students and instructors

2. Terminal exercise; an exercise designed to fail on a number of levels so that students can better understand the preventative aspects of the job.

3. How Protection Works (the USSS model)

4. Our Educational Philosophy (Prevention rather than response)

5. Protective Mission Elements and Objectives

   1. Prevention of intentional injury

   2. Prevention of unintentional injury

   3. Prevention of medical emergency

   4. Prevention of abduction

   5. Prevention of embarrassment

6. Types of Protective Roles

   1. Public Sector (Dignitary/PSD)

   2. Private Sector (Executive/Celebrity)

7. Career path comparisons; observations and expectations

8. Continuing education; Firearms training (where to go and how much)

9. Continuing education; Offensive driver training (where to go and how much)

10. Continuing education; Other recommended subjects

11. Protective planning; “Deterrence” – the FLETC model

12. Personal protection unit size and scope

13. Scope of responsibility; organizational conflict

14. Scope of responsibility; touching/moving others

15. Scope of responsibility; displaying/handling weapons

16. Professionalism; setting the standard

17. Avoiding stereotypes; “What kind of person would kill…?”

18. Historical perspectives; Tiberius and Gaius

19. The Lessons of Antiquity; If you were Eglon’s bodyguard?

20. Jael; the first female assassin

21. Assassination of religious leaders through history

22. The “Invincibles”

23. Presidential Assassination in the US

    1. Lincoln (1865)

    2. Garfield (1881)

    3. McKinley (1901)

    4. Kennedy (1963)

24. Assassination Attempts; Lessons learned

    1. Andrew Jackson

    2. Theodore Roosevelt

    3. FDR

    4. Harry Truman

    5. Gerald Ford (X2)

    6. Ronald Reagan

25. Other Memorable Assassinations; Lessons learned

    1. Franz Ferdinand

    2. M. Gandhi

    3. I. Gandhi

    4. R. Gandhi

    5. Palme/Lindh

    6. Y. Rabin

    7. RFK

    8. Huey Long

    9. Bhutto

    10. Moscone/Milk

    11. Selena

    12. John Lennon

26. Early Protectors

    1. Samurai/Ronin

    2. Praetorian Guard

    3. Vanrangian Guard

    4. Gardes Suisses

27. Public Sector Programs

    1. USSS

    2. DSS

    3. USMS

    4. DoD/Capitol Police/PSWG

    5. Foreign protection agencies/ROE

28. Private sector programs

CC. Our role as “Facilitators”

DD. Watching out for yourself!

EE. Q&A (Sample test questions).

 

II. Morning break; DT (.5/hour)

 

III. Advance Planning (1.5 hours)

 

1. Why important?

   1. Getting in/around/out

   2. Knowing the venue

   3. Knowing the people

2. “Concentric Rings” theory

3. Elements of protective planning (awareness/avoidance/defense)

4. Comprehensive protection strategies

5. Planning for a trip

6. Protection checklists

7. Airports (commercial and G/A)

8. Residences

9. Hotels

10. Restaurants

11. Modes of travel

12. Routes of travel

13. Medical histories/HIPAA

14. Joint operations; working with other teams

15. Reporting formats/briefings

16. deBecker’s “LADDER” concept

17. Unexpected side-trips/impromptu visits

18. “Security assessment 101”

19. Thinking “3-D”

20. Working with onsite personnel

21. Identifying posts “Economy of Force”

22. Interior route planning/communications

23. Tech sweeps of occupied spaces

24. Pre-arranging registration/payment

25. Billeting the protection detail (OPSEC)

26. Viewing the venue orthographically

27.   Theatres and auditoriums

28.   Official ceremonies

CC.  Protection during recreation

DD.  Protection on the waterfront

EE.  Commercial/industrial facility assessments

FF.   Setting up the event

GG.  Conducting advance briefings

HH.  Identification and credentials

II.     Media management

JJ.   Landing zones/emergency extraction

KK.  Familiarization with foreign weapons systems 

LL.   Online travel security/intelligence

MM. Sample exercise

OO.  Q&A

 

III. Defensive Tactics (.5/hr)

 

LUNCH (1 hour)

 

IV. IED Search Techniques (2 hours)

 

1. Understanding cyclic patterns of terrorism

2. Target types/frequency

3. Statistics of attacks; bombs are #1

4. The US Bomb Data Center

5. History; black powder, nitro, dynamite, modern HE

6. What the internet shows our kids

7. Types of explosives (initiators, low, high)

8. Commercial explosives recognition

9. Military explosives recognition

10. WMD and reality

11. The terrorist’s arsenal

12. DHS Stand-off chart

13. Why make a bomb threat?

14. Why use a bomb?

15. Bombers vs. Hoaxers

16. The Shaheed

17. How bombs are made; “The basic circuit”

18. Appearance and construction

19. Handling bomb threat calls

20. Evacuation considerations

21. Letter/package bombs

22. Organizing/training search teams

23. “Pre-Search” bomb assessments of venues

24. BATF recommended search techniques

25. Searching vehicles

26. Searching aircraft

27. Practical exercise

    1. Room search

    2. Vehicle search (Graded exercise)

 

V. Defensive Tactics; continued (.5/hr)

 

VI. Detail Planning and Formations (2 hours)

 

1. Determining “appropriateness”

2. Warning; Nobody wants you

3. Protective functions

   1. Principal/Protectee

   2. Personal Security Officer (DL/SAIC/OIC)

   3. Checkpoints/Posts

   4. Surveillance/Counter-surveillance

   5. Intelligence

   6. Special assignment

   7. Command post

   8. Technical

   9. Advance agent

   10. Project agent

4. Coverage

   1. Direct

   2. Indirect

5. Concentric Rings Theory (again)

6. Movement considerations

   1. “Arms reach”

   2. Sound off-cover-evacuate

   3. Closest agent rule

7. Attack recognition and response

8. Being ready and alert; keeping the hands up

9. The “Diamond” formation; theory

10. Fluidity and flexibility

11. Detail formations

    1. 1,2,3,4,5,6 agent with/without guests

    2. Compression when entering corridors

    3. Adjusting for the venue and route

    4. Working receiving/rope lines

    5. The “3-foot” rule

    6. Defensive circle/Cave-in

    7. Movement around corners/obstacles

    8. Stairwells

    9. Elevators (US and foreign)

    10. Use of the “Zone defense”

    11. Auditorium (seated)

    12. Auditorium (presenting)

    13. Aircraft seating (commercial/GA)

    14. The “drop” (off-side/onside)

    15. Formations and movement around vehicles

    16. Lead car/follow car arrivals (1,2,3,4 car packages)

    17. Signals (slow-roll, abort, all-clear etc)

    18. Arrival/staging/alighting/debussing the package

    19. Managing double-door vestibules

    20. Returning to the vehicles from the venue

    21. Protection at sea

12. “Sound-off” exercise

13. AOP video presentations

14. Crowd dynamics; recognizing the “odd-man-out”

15. The Eckman study

16. Fundamentals of crowd dynamics

17. Photographic analysis exercise

18. Applicable law enforcement statutes

19. Q&A

 

VII. Homework Assignment (Advance assessment on your residence)

 

 

DAY 2

 

I. Review of Day 1; Q&A (.5/hr)

 

II. Threat Assessment/Protective Intelligence (3.5 hours)

1. Principles of threat assessment

2. Method and process; dealing with humans

3. Workplace violence/semantics

4. OSHA and the safe workplace

5. Columbine; a threat model

6. Meloy’s behavior observations

   1. Predatory

   2. Affective

7. Targeted vs. Non-specific violence

8. Threat assessment process and management (USSS)

9. The targeted violence process

10. Identifying violence phases

11. Intervention strategies

    1. Continued/enhanced monitoring

    2. Detention/arrest of the attacker

    3. Neutralization by force

    4. Removal of Protectee

    5. Alternative to violence

    6. Strengthen security of Protectee

    7. “Transference” issues

12. Inductive vs. Deductive assessment strategies

13. The Exceptional Case Study Project (USSS, 1998)

14. Recognition of attack indicators; George Sodini case (2009)

15. Categories of threats

16. Determining levels of risk

17. Understanding the risk/phase relationship

18. Inappropriate correspondence (ICC) analysis; Schuy method

19. deBecker’s “JACA”

20. Types of stalkers

21. Stalker motivation

22. Personality disorders

23. Relevant law enforcement statutes

24. Protective intelligence defined (Oatman)

25. Sources of useful intelligence

26. The intelligence process

27. Tactical vs. Strategic intelligence

28. Attack predictors

CC. Analyzing the Protectee’s visible organization

DD. COMSEC’s role in threat management

EE. The “two-edged” sword of information collection

FF. OPSEC for protection personnel

GG. Threat assessment practical exercises

 

LUNCH (1 Hour)

 

III. Defensive Tactics (.5/hr)

 

IV. Etiquette and Equipment (1 Hour)

1. Determining socially accepted behavior; preventing embarrassment

2. Etiquette and protocol considerations

3. Addressing government officials

4. Addressing military personnel

5. Addressing royalty

6. Addressing clergy

7. Protocol for official events

8. Understanding a campaign organization

9. Business attire (male and female)

10. Formal attire (male and female)

11. Dining rules at formal events

12. Adapting for sport and leisure

13. Concealment gear and armor

14. “Gearing down”          

 

V. Medical Emergency Recognition and Response (1 hour)

 

1. Understanding the EMS system

2. The protection agent’s role in medical emergencies

3. Legal obligations of professional rescuers

4. Necessary personal characteristics

5. Preventing disease transmission

6. Types of common communicable diseases

7. OSHA regulations relating to health

8. Emergency action principles

9. Handling breathing emergencies

10. Recognition/care for heart attack

11. Assisting with oxygen or prescribed meds

12. Trauma injuries

13. Bumps and sprains

14. Assembling a first aid kit

15. Q&A

 

VI. Defensive Tactics (.5/hr)

 

VII. Command Post Operations (1 hour)

1. A quick word about the ICS

2. Types of command posts

3. COC facility needs

4. Command post operations and planning

5. Communications systems

6. Credentials and identification

7. Protection “pins”

8. Managing special events

9. Special event exercise

10. Q&A

 

VII. Homework Assignment (Advancing tomorrow’s mission)

 

 

DAY 3

 

I. Review of Day 2; Q&A  (.5/hr)

 

II. Motorcade Planning and Operations (3.0 Hours)

1. DT skills testing is done rotational; two students at a time

2. Two and three vehicle packages on track or in traffic

 

III. Written examination (.5/hr)

 

LUNCH (1 Hour//can be used to complete assignment)

 

III. Practical Exercise (4 Hours)

 

Students are divided into teams and given assignments to advance. They select their own leadership and team assignments. If complex advances are used, the assignments are actually provided the night before. Students are required to:

 

1)    Present a viable team appropriate to the assignment

2)    Conduct an effective advance briefing

3)    Identify primary and alternate routes

4)    Run the mission

5)    Self-critique